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G. W. PRICE. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

N0. 403,070. Patented May 7, 1889.

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Patented May 7, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O FIC GEORGE W. PRICE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN R. JOHNSON, FRANKLIN M. DUNN, AND JOHN F. WALTERS, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,070, dated May 7, 1889.

Application filed December 21, 1888. Serial No. 294,352. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for carrying parcels or cash, and is known as a storeservice apparatus.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings; and it consists in a construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a general view showing one end of the store-service apparatus. Fig. 2 is atop View of the end support of the track and tightener therefor. Fig. 3 is a side view of the carrier or car. Fig. 4 is a top view of the central support for the track. Fig. 5 is a general view of the store-service apparatus, showing the carrier suspended from the two cords.

The letter A designates a fixed vertical rod, which supports one end of the track I), and A another vertical rod, which supports the center of the track.

The track I) may consist of a suitable rod, wire, or cable, and is attached to stationary supporting-plates O O, which are retained in position by the said fixed vertical rods A A. The track has a permanent inclination from the center supporting-plate, O, to the end supporting-plate, 0.

Each supporting-plate has 011 its upper surface a longitudinal central bead or rib, b, which serves as a short section of the track. The wire I) (or whatever is employed for the track) is attached to the supporting-plates at a hole, 6 which is immediately at the end of the said central rib, b.

The end supporting-plate, C, is directly attached to a right-angled arm, d, having screwbearings e, and another right-angled arm, d, also having screw-bearings c, has a head, f, with a hole or eye for the vertical rod A, and a set-screw, f, in the head serves to make the latter tight wherever it is set on the said vertical rod.' A tightening screw, g, passes through the screw-bearings e e of both of the right-angled arms d d, and a head, 9, on the screw enables the latter to be turned, and

thereby tighten or stretch the track.

The carrier D has a roller, h, provided with a central track-groove, 'i, and two cord-grooves, j, one each side of the said central groove. The carrier also has a second roller, 70, which has a track-gro0ve,o". One of these rollers takes position above the track I) and the other below the track. In the present instance the roller with three grooves is the one which is above the track. The carrier has a hook, I, for attachment of a basket, Z, or other device for holding parcels or cash.

The attachment of the end supporting-plate, C, to the right angle arm, (I, and the latters connection with the second arm, d, which is secured to the vertical rod A, make provision whereby the carrier D, after it has run from the track 1) onto the said end plate, 0, may drop or be lowered within convenient reach of the salesman or cashier.

To raise and lower the carrier and basket, and to impart to them movement along the track, two cords, m, are employed. .These cords are attached by one end, m, to a fixed support, 0, and one cord has position at and extends along one side of the track 6, and the other cord at the opposite side. Thus the two cords may act on the side grooves, j, of the carrier-roller. It is immaterial as to how the ends m of the two cords to are secured, and the fixed support to which they are secured may vary according to the requirements of the place where the apparatus is to be used. In the present instance these cords are attached to the center supporting-plate, O, and from thence pass to a sleeve, E, which is movable up and down on the vertical rod A. The sleeve is provided with two side rollers, a, under which the cords take in passing up to the elevated pulleys 0.- From the latter the two cords pass down, and have a pull-handle, p, attached to them. It willbe seen that the weight of the sleeve E rests upon the two cords m and tends to depress them. This tendency may be increased by attaching a spiral or other spring, q, to the sleeve and connecting said spring to the head f of the arm. The spring, however, is not deemed essential.

The end supporting-plate, O, is provided with two cord-guards, 7', one located each side of the longitudinal rib I). These cord-guards may have any shape or size that will serve to retain the cords m upon the plate C when the carrier D drops or lowers. In the present instance the cord-guards consist of side flanges, 0', extending along the top of plate 0.

The apparatus operates as follows: A salesman desiring to transmit the basket l, or other parcel-holding device, to the cashier (or vice versa) will grasp the handle 13 of the cords and pull down, and thereby raise the carrier D and basket until the upper roller, h, reaches the end supporting-plate, O, whereupon the said upper roller will take onto the central rib, Z), of said plate, and then a continuation of the pull on the cords m, which latter will have a down inclination from the sleeve-rollers It toward the support 0, where they are attached,will impart to the carrier and basket a movement upgrade 011 the permanently-inclined track between the end plate, 0, and the central plate, 0'. As the latter is the highest point in the track whereat the down inclination commences in opposite directions, the carrier I) will move down to the cashier by gravity.

The parts shown at the left of Fig. 1, embracing the rod A, sleeve E, supporting-plate O, &c., represent one end of the line,and are to be arranged in like manner at the other end of the line, so that the salesmans end and cashiers end will be alike. hen the carrier D in a )proaching one end has passed the highest point, C, in the track, the two side grooves, j, of its roller It will take onto the cords m, which will be stretched taut in a horizontal direction by the action of the sleeve E. The carrier will run off the end of the plate C onto the two cords m, which will sag and form a swing or sling, as indicated in Fig. 5, and then lower.

Having described my invention, I clai1n 1. The combination, with a track and two cords constituting a flexible extension, of a carrier provided with a roller having a central track-groove and a groove on each side thereof to receive the cords, the flexible extension being adapted to receive and to start the carrier.

2. The combination, with a track and two cords constituting a flexible extension, of a carrier having two rollers, one of which takes above the track and the other below, and one roller provided with a central groove and a groove on each side thereof to receive the cords, the flexible extension being adaptedto receive and to start the carrier.

3. The combination, with a track and two cords constituting a flexible extension, of a vertical rod, A, a sleeve movable up and down on the said rod and provided with side rollers, a pulley, 0, fixed at an elevation above the sleeve, a' carrier provided with a roller having a central track-groove and a groove on each side thereof to receive the cords, the said two eXtensioncords both passing up under the side rollers of the sleeve to the elevated pulley 0 and then down.

4. The combination, with a track and two cords constituting a flexible extension, of an end supporting=plate, 0, provided with a central bead or rib and a cord-guard each side thereof, and a carrier provided with a roller having a central track-groove and a groove on each side thereof toreceive the cords.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. PRICE.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, JNo. T. MADDoX. 

